


A ring, a song and a few pebbles

by firei



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Mermaids, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 14:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12842673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firei/pseuds/firei
Summary: Narumi, Hope and Mary go to Hope's summer beach house and spend their holidays secretly meeting with their underwater significant others.





	1. Story 1: Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, beautiful readers! It's been a while but I'm back with three short stories in one, yay! The first one will be focused on merman Jumin and human Narumi's relationship, so I suggest reading it if you don't want to miss out on Mr CEO's fins!

It all happened while I was playing on the beach with Hope and Mary.

We were throwing a ball to each other and splashing on the water. When it got too far away, I offered to go get it and saw something under the water as I was nearing the ball. Something shiny.

I put on my diving goggles and didn't mind that I looked ridiculous while swimming towards the shiny object. At first I thought it was a pearl, but as I was picking it up I discovered it was attached to a ring. It was beautiful.

I put it on and admired how it looked on my hand. However, right as I was about to reach the surface, I saw something else further from me. Or shall I say… someone?

I was still confused and startled when I poked my head out to breathe, but I soon dived back in hoping to find the owner of that face.

 _“There's nothing… perhaps I imagined him?”_ , I thought. However, there was a part of me that honestly believed in what I had seen. He had stared at me with eyes wide open, as real as the water surrounding me right then or the clear blue sky above us.

I swam closer to where I thought I'd seen him, but soon noticed I needed to breathe again. I gathered some more air from outside the sea because I didn't want to die searching for a product of my imagination and got back to business right away. It probably would've worked had there not been monstruous currents pushing me deeper into the sea. I managed to stay level-headed as I swam upwards in order to not drown, but things quickly turned upside down for me. All of a sudden, I didn't know where up, down, left and right were.

I panicked, which accidentaly made me open my mouth in a silent scream. I lost all the air I had been trying to save and quickly felt how the salty water was taking its place until my body was only focused on attempting to cough it out. I honestly thought I was about to die, so at least I was happy to see that face again right before losing consciousness.

The first thing I felt when I woke up was the sunlight hitting my skin. It had probably been nice once, but by then it felt too hot, as if the warmth was digging into my limbs and burning them from inside. That's when I coughed and instantly whined in pain. My throat felt raw and hoarse, although there was thankfully no water left in my lungs.

I sat up slowly, feeling a growing headache. God, I was such a mess. I looked around me only to find out that I was on a fairly big rock into the water. There were more near me, but the shore that I saw from there was nothing like the one I had been at a few… minutes?, hours ago? How much time had passed? Judging by the position of the sun, not that much.

I laboriously got up and carefully climbed the rocks, making my way through them towards the sand. While I was at it, I realized the ring was still on my finger and had this hunch that my life had been saved thanks to it. I unconsciously smiled, and after a few moments of reluctancy and looking back at the sea, I left.

I found my friends soon after that. They were worried sick and crying by the time I reached them, and they sent me to the hospital immediately. During the trip there, they told me they thought I had died and I hugged them and apologized for the worst fifteen minutes of their lives. When the doctors checked me out, they saw nothing out of the ordinary and simply told me to take it easy and let my throat heal before diving into the water again.

A couple of days later, I realized with a heavy heart that I had developed a phobia. I could be near the sea, but I couldn't step a toe in it without wanting to cry. My friends were really kind with me and offered me company and ice-creams for my now-healing throat, but I couldn't help wanting to deal with my grief alone. I told them to have fun in the water and went for a walk, watching the rays of sun hitting the sea while I moved.

I ended up crawling on the rocks that had been my salvation that horrible day. I sat down right where I had woken up and attempted to brush my fingers lightly on the water beside me. I stuttered too much, and then I couldn't.

I sighed and began reading the book I had brought with me. Even with that new fear, hearing the whispers of the waves was still soothing. I submerged in the story so quickly that it was almost lunch-time when I realized how hungry I was. I hurried back to the beach and reunited with my friends to go and eat with them.

The routine soon became all the same. I'd accompany Hope and Mary to the shore, then let them enjoy freely while I read on my hidden spot on the rocks. I spent most of my mornings and evenings there, so I finished reading the following evening and simply closed the book while contemplating the sunset. The sky was pink and golden, and I couldn't help the silly smile that lit my face to that breath-taking sight.

I was so relaxed that I barely realized the moment my hand slipped out of the rock and touched the water. I jumped back right away, my heart beating fast, and I heard a weird splash of water to my left that instantly made me look in that direction.

There he was.

None of us moved a muscle: I suspected we both were startled by what had just happened, so after a moment I returned to my sitting position without taking my eye off him. I didn't want him to vanish, not that time.

His eyes were grey and his hair was as black as it could get, more so being wet. He had a few black scales next to where his ears were supposed to be, but instead he had black, translucid fins. Even if I was shocked, I couldn't figure out a way of asking him whether or not he was human without it sounding offensive. I chose to stay quiet and, after some hesitation, he neared the rock in which I was.

—H–hi…

—Hello. You seemed to be scared, is your life endangered in any way?

Wow, Shakespeare, slow down right there. I blinked twice before shaking my head, though I felt the need to add some kind of explanation to my answer.

—I almost drowned a few days ago, so now I'm terrified of the sea— he nodded as if it was the most logical thing, and I thought something crazy that I needed to blurt out right away—. I saw someone there before it happened. Was it… was it you?

—Yes. And, in fairness to the whole truth, I was also the one to pull you out of the water as soon as you fainted. I hope my intervention was efficient enough as to leave you unscarred.

—It was, I'm almost healed now— I smiled with a heart-warming feeling on my chest—. Thank you for rescuing me. You saved my life… uhm… what's your name?

—Jumin— he responded while offering me his hand. I looked at it confused and he was quick to clear it out—. I know for a fact that humans stretch their hands in order to greet each other.

I complied with a polite “Nice to meet you, I'm Narumi”, but then he turned it to kiss my fingers instead. I blushed, of course, as he stared into my eyes before releasing my hand softly.

—I also know for a fact that that's how gentlemen are supposed to greet ladies. Oh… I'm afraid your face is red, could it possibly be that you're not feeling well?

—No, I'm just flustered. I didn't expect you to do that.

—If it bothered you, I shall never do it again— he ominously stated. For whatever reason, I found that completely adorable and giggled a bit.

—It didn't. You are very well put on human interaction.

—Thank you for the compliment. Now, may I ask you something?— I said yes and he proceeded—. Why have you stopped reading your book? Was it, perhaps, not interesting enough?

—Oh, it was! So much, actually, that I just finished it. Do you like reading?

—I likely would if I could.

—Do you want me to teach you?

He fervently nodded, and I held the book between us while teaching him the basics. He sadly couldn't turn around the pages since his damp fingers would destroy the paper, so I did it for him and we soon grew comfortable in that situation. So comfortable, actually, that neither of us noticed when the sky became dark and full of stars.

—It is hard to distinguish the symbols now that there's barely any light— he pointed out.

—You're right… oh, fuck, YOU'RE RIGHT! I have to leave!

—Why?

He looked sincerely sad to see me go. I was already standing on the rock, but I wouldn't abandon him without any explanations.

—I've been here for hours, my friends are probably worried about me— to his disappointed eyes, I pouted a bit—. I'll come back again tomorrow.

—Then I hope you'll be true to your word.

—I will, I promise. I can come here in the morning and we'll spend the whole day together.

Jumin let out a faint smile and wished me a good night. However, I didn't get too far before he called for me again.

—Narumi, wait!— he swam closer to where I was and I looked at him—. You must not tell anyone about my existence.

—I won't, don't worry. I know how horribly humans can act regarding creatures they don't understand.

I was looking ahead while leaving, so I missed the glance of adoration that said magnificent creature sent my way. Had I seen it, I would've fallen in love with him right away.

It didn't take long for me to get there, anyway.


	2. Story 1: Falling in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait any longer to upload this chapter, so here it is! It's cute and fluffy and re-reading it made me flustered, so I hope you'll enjoy it as well <3 I'll probably continue uploading this story a bit more often than I'd thought, perhaps two chapters a week, but if you prefer to have days set for it just let me know and I'll stick to them! Happy reading <3

Keeping Jumin a secret would only become increasingly difficult as days went by. I had met him just hours ago yet there I was, rushing towards my spot to meet him again. My friends didn't ask, but since they saw me happier they decided to go along with it and give me some privacy.

I arrived in time to see Jumin's head popping out of the water. He swam closer to the rock and placed his arms there, a smile already lighting his features.

—Good morning! Did I make you wait too long?

—The whole night, to be honest, but waiting was worth it since the reward to my patience is your company.

I blushed and quickly showed him the book I had brought with me. It was a new one that I had borrowed from Hope that morning.

—You can still learn how to read and we can discover its story together. Do you remember what I taught you yesterday?

He nodded and simply asked a few questions because the letters in that book were slightly different. However, in less than an hour he was delighting me with his deep voice going through the paragraphs in perfect harmony and without a mistake. Wow. For someone with the memory of a fish, he certainly was a fast learner.

We established turns to read the story out loud so that his voice wouldn't get tired. We had reached half of the book by the time I slowly closed it and looked at him.

—Why don't we save the rest for this evening?

He gazed at the sun and then back at me, frowning.

—Does that mean you must leave? Already?

—No, I can stay with you a little longer. I thought that maybe we could talk.

—You seem to have a topic in mind, am I wrong?

I nodded, not really knowing how to phrase my thoughts without having them sound dirty. Finally, I decided to ask the obvious question just to be sure.

—You're a… mermaid, right?

— _Merman_ ; it's the male equivalent of a mermaid.

—Merman, yes. So, uhm… do you have a fish tail?— luckily, he didn't think badly of me when he nodded in confusion—. Can I see it?

He pulled himself upwards until he was sitting on the edge of the rock. I made some space for him before contemplating that big, black tail –OMG it sounded awful I'm sorry I swear I'm not talking about penises. It was covered in scales all over, and they shone whenever the rays of sun hit them.

Jumin got his fins out of the water for a little bit so that I could see them: they were translucid and black, just like the ones from the sides of his face. He submerged them again and I focused on the black scales. After asking him for permission, I brushed one lightly. It was soft and perfectly pulished, cold to the touch.

I looked at the merman with a smile and instantly felt lots of blood running to my cheeks. I wasn't expecting him to have such an intense stare upon me.

—Why are you flustered?— he asked, hesitating before using the word I had taught him the day before. He softly caressed my face with one of his fingers.

—It's the way you were looking at me.

—If it bothered you, I apologize.

—It didn't, though it seemed like you were seeing something magnificent when, in fact, I was the one marvelled before your merman charms.

Why had I phrased it all that way? My brain thought it appropriate to stop functioning under pressure, so I knew for sure my next sentence would be a shy blabber.

—That does not mean you're the only one able to appreciate the beauty in another species. Now, after I've complied to your request, may I ask for something in return?— I nodded, a bit wary but curious overall—. May I see your hand?

It was a strange petition, seen as he had hands as well –with interdigital membranes, sure, but they were practically the same. I agreed to it, nonetheless, and showed him my right hand. He shook his head.

—Not that one. Your left.

He took it carefully between his hands and slipped the tip of his finger on mine. He saw the ring that I'd found that infamous day and merely brushed it before sighing. He didn't let go of it when he spoke again.

—My kind strongly believe in fate. They're convinced that certain objects hold a special sort of power within, the power to pull merpeople towards their destinies. I, on the other hand, refused to place my faith in such nonsense…

—Refused?— I asked when he stopped talking—. That's past tense, what changed?

Jumin squeezed my hand sweetly and gazed deep into my eyes.

—This ring brought me to you. It seems you and I are destined, Narumi.

Ha. Hahaha. What. Why was that poor, beautiful creature so utterly confused as to believe that we were meant for each other? Me, the clumsy swimmer with diving goggles that almost drowned to death, with him, the smartest and most gorgeous merman ever? I was the only one who seemed to think it was a crazy idea, because he wouldn't stop contemplating me with devotion. Heck, I almost heard a crab singing “Kiss the girl”.

—I… have to go. I'll come back— I quickly added, so his frown softened again before it was fully wrinkled. He kissed my hand before letting go of it and got back into the water.

—Will you be gone for long?

—Just a couple of hours, maybe less.

—I'll look forward to your return.

—So will I.

And then I hurriedly left. Don't get me wrong, amongst the anguish and stomach ache there was actual excitement. I was confused and scared, because how was it supposed to work? And still, a merman had put his eye on me. And he was eager to learn, clever, interesting, cute, smooth, respectful and able to make me believe that it was a good idea to start something with a half-fish. He had it all!

My friends and I were having lunch when I realized. The final test, which would decide whether we were made for each other or not: cats. I needed to learn if he liked them… and if _they_ liked _him_.

I hurried to the park near the beach were I knew a family of cats lived. I had realized the white kitten was always left out, so I made it a habit to visit her and feed her and she and I had become friends pretty fast.

I gathered her carefully in my arms and picked up my book as well, and soon I was climbing on the rocks with her little head pocking from my purse. Jumin was waiting for me on the rock, his magnificent tail shining under the sun, and he offered me his hand to make it easier for me to jump down.

—Thank you! Now, I have a surprise for you. Do you know what cats are?

He shook his head, both bewildered and curious. I held the kitten in my hands and showed her to him.

—What kind of creature is completely covered in fur?

—Lots of them, actually— I laughed and placed the kitten on the rock. She smelled Jumin and he neared his fingers towards her hesitantly. A few minutes later, it felt like I was a third wheel to them.

—She seems to really like you— I sighed dreamily, unable to digest how adorable he looked petting the sleepy animal.

—The feeling is mutual. Does she have a name?

—Not yet. Why, do you have any ideas?

—No, but I'll think carefully about it. It has to be appropriate for such a wonderful being.

Yes. I was jealous of the cat. Wow. Fuck. Moving on. I petted her as well before letting out the question that had been wandering through my mind all evening.

—So… how did the ring get to where I was that day?

He then explained to me how there was a cave –which, according to the legend, belonged to the first mermaid to step foot on the land and marry a human– full of these fate-deciding objects and how everyone was supposed to choose one and stick to it until their path was clear. Despite his convictions, Jumin participated on the ritual as well and always kept the ring close to him.

—Eventually, a friend of mine stole it from me and had me racing behind her to get it back. Right when I was about to regain it, she threw it towards the shore. It was dangerous for me to get closer because of the humans bathing nearby, but still I attempted to retrieve it… when you took it instead.

The weight of his eyes on mine made me forget to breathe. He took my hand and observed the ring before focusing again on my face. Without further ado, he pressed his lips on my cheek and tenderly kissed it. He then looked at me and smiled.

—I like making you flustered. It's not a bad thing, is it?

—It's not.

—I'm glad.

And then he kissed my cheek again. His lips lingered on my skin for a bit longer, and his nose brushed against it before retreating again.

I needed time to recover from whatever the merman was doing to my heart, so I suggested reading the book and he agreed to it. However, it was a sunny afternoon and I soon found myself absolutely dreading the touch of the sun on my heated skin.

Jumin had jumped into the water a while ago to avoid just that, but I couldn't do the same. When my discomfort poisoned my voice, he asked if I was okay and I told him the truth.

—And you're still scared even if I'm here?— I nodded heavily and he sighed—. You must know I'd never let anything bad happen to you.

—I know, Jumin, but I can't help being scared.

He frowned, thinking, and then came up with an idea.

—Would you continue to feel scared if I poured some water over you?

—I… don't think so. We could try.

And so we did. He let some salty water run down my legs and arms, and I appreciated the refreshing touch of the liquid. He also caressed my face and forehead so that a bit of the water would lay there. I returned the smile with which he graced me.

—Thank you, I'm feeling much, much better now.

—I'm glad. However… wouldn't you prefer to overcome your phobia?

I was ready to refuse it with my inherent stubborness, but I faltered enough for him to speak. He told me we could take it one step at a time, slowly getting myself used to the water until I could dive in without a problem.

I agreed to it because… well… you do silly things when you're in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyaaaaaa >////////< I'm a sucker for Jumin MerHan xD Also, if you're liking the story and want another Mysmes character to have their own, I think I could try something out. Leave it in the comments and, if I get good ideas for it, I might write a side story for them! And as always, kudos and comments are more than highly appreciated, thank you so much for your support <3


	3. Story 1: Part of your world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, you gorgeous being <3 Here's the last chapter of the first story, finally! I hope you enjoy it, go give it a read!

We had started off easy, our hands holding while he slowly submerged my fingers. He wouldn't pressure me and compliment my every advance, so I soon felt comfortable enough to let my legs hang from the rock and splash him with a bit of water from time to time. Whenever he laughed, I fell a bit more.

Ironically, I also fell literally. Into the water. SEND HELP.

I had tried to stand up too quickly, but the surface had turned slippery under my wet feet, so I ended up trying to swim upwards while silently panicking.

A pair of strong arms embraced me and pulled my head out of the water fast but carefully. I coughed and shivered, holding onto him while focusing on steadying my breathing. Jumin brushed the hair back from my face and tenderly grinned.

—It's okay, you're safe. I got you— he whispered. I looked at him, feeling the panic gradually fading into an annoying (but more bearable) haze—. Are you still frightened?

—A bit— I admitted, my shacking turning my words into an understatement—. But I think… I think it'll get better if you hold me like this.

He kept us afloat and asked me stuff about the upper world. Concentrating on talking didn't really work at the beginning because it was a huge effort for me, but once I managed to go through with it I practically forgot that we were in the water. Jumin's smile widened as he rubbed circles on my back.

—However, money is way more complex than just a few pieces of paper with a special value. There's a whole branch of knowledge fully dedicated to it— I said. He observed me with fascination; I had discovered his second favourite human topic, and I made sure to promise him I'd bring him books about economy. His first favourite human topic, on the other hand…

—Thank you for sharing all those curiosities with me. Regarding my first question, though, what is sex? Is it some kind of human ritual? I've heard about it but there's not much information on that topic.

—Well, that's because it's taboo to talk about it. Embarrassing— I cleared out when he tilted his head.

—Why? Is it something bad?

I would have to explain it, wouldn't I? Ha. Fuck. Literally. HA. Let's go.

—It's not, it's… it's usually an act between two people who are trying to have a baby together, although nowadays couples also use it to express their love towards each other.

—Why is it taboo, then? To me, it looks like something special that people would treasure.

—It is, but to do that, you need to be naked. And humans see nakedness as something embarrassing, as if you're exposing yourself too much. It makes most of us feel vulnerable.

I hoped he was done asking questions, but then he was curious about why we needed to be naked in order to have sex, and then he wanted to know exactly _what_ entered _where_. When it got to the point of him asking how we did it to differentiate sex to express love from sex to procreate, I swear I saw his mind blowing up as I told him that the man had to wear something.

—Wasn't sex supposed to happen without any clothing?

—I'm explaining the general stuff, people can also do it fully dressed. What I'm talking about is a special, uhm…¬ garment that men use. I'll tell you in detail another day, as well as other different kinds of sex, but now I think I've told you enough.

He accepted it with a nod and placed his forehead on mine. I shivered, both because the sun was slowly sinking down the horizon and because I was still in the water, although maybe his closeness had something more to do with my state. Jumin then opened his eyes and stared at me with a shine I couldn't quite decipher.

—I wish for us to have sex in order to express my feelings for you.

—Jumin…!— I was red. He widened his eyes before my expression, then looked elsewhere.

—I apologize. I didn't mean to offend, embarrass or disrespect you in any way.

I knew he didn't. When his eyes locked on mine again, I caressed his cheek a bit calmer and then, battling my shyness, I leaned in towards him. Jumin seemed surprised at first, but then he tilted his head enough for my lips to have access to his. And so we kissed.

At first I was focused on guiding him through the kiss to make up for his lack of experience. However, I had forgotten what a fast learner the merman was: I soon noticed my breath hitched and my pulse going crazy under his touch. His tongue kept my lips apart to slip inside my mouth, and that alone distracted me so much that I was barely aware of his hands exploring my body –especially my legs.

I was panting way too hard by the time his fingers started making their way under my shorts. I stopped him, slowing down the rhythm of the kisses until it was just our noses rubbing dearly.

—I like you— I admitted. He smirked.

—You needn't say it out loud, your body just proved it. Why did you stop me?

—Because couples usually wait a bit longer to get to know each other. Besides… how do we know this will work? I can't live in the ocean, you can't stay on the land…

—Seems to me you're doing fine here— he replied, referring to my still being on the water surrounded by his protective arms. He took my left hand and placed it between us, the ring shining with the movement—. Us is the first thing I have ever had faith on. I don't intend to let a merely physical limit take you away from me.

He kissed me and I felt like I was the one being taught then. I gave in to his love, and love was what I got from him.

It was already dark when he helped me get back on the rock. I stole one last kiss from his lips and felt the both of us reluctant to part ways, but I promised I'd be back as soon as the sun rose and he swore he'd be there by my return.

It was hard for me to leave, but I hurried because my friends could be worried. During the way, I fed the kitten some extra food that I had brought just in case and decided to take her home with me instead of leaving her with that cat-family that neglected her. She seemed happy with my choice.

Who else seemed happy? Mary and Hope. They both were up the clouds, sort of like I was, and I guessed they had their share of summer lovers as well. However, they both jolted their heads towards me as soon as I stepped inside the house.

—Well, well, well, Narumi… your long hours out and your completely damp self are giving me a few clues… who got you to get a bath on the beach?

—Yeeeees, tell us— Hope backed Mary's words, although she frowned when another thought crossed her mind—. But if someone threw you forcefully into the water, then we'll kick them!

—Nothing like that happened— I calmed them down, blushing to the thought of what had actually ocurred. I pressed my legs together—. I accidentally slipped into the sea but I managed to get out and my fear is a lot better now.

Mary had _the_ smirk. She neared me really slowly, then looked at me in the eye.

—You can't lie, so tell us. Did you, or didn't you just come from having sex with someone?

My red cheeks and my inevitable stare to the ground told them everything they needed to know. They quickly asked for detail, so I tried my last, desperate resort.

—Do you really expect me to believe that I was the only one doing dirty stuff around?

To my surprise, it worked: Mary and Hope blushed even more than me, although the latter quickly smiled and nodded effusively. None of us shared many details during dinner, though, but I could notice how happy the three of us were and that itself was more than enough for me.

They loved the kitten, and even though it was Hope's beach house, she let her stay until we got back to the city. I thanked her and we went to sleep quickly. I certainly wasn't the only one with plans for the following day.

As promised, I got on my way to the beach while the sun hadn't still come out. I was worried that I might've appeared a bit too early while I crawled on the rocks, but Jumin's head popped out of the water with a smile that melted my heart in just a second.

I left my things on the rock –my purse alongside the towel I had brought to avoid getting a cold– and gazed at the water with reluctancy, but Jumin neared me and kissed my hand as a way of greeting me.

—My love, you needn't come into the sea if it's still hard for you.

—Oh, but I want to! Everything improved yesterday, I don't want to throw it all away.

—As you wish— he nodded, lending me his hand and helping me slowly dive—. Just let me know when to get you out and I will help you.

The fear was still there, but I felt safer if his arms formed a barrier between the water and me. Besides, that smile of adoration that he shot me was worth every drop of sweat.

—Since you're being so tremendously brave, I shall properly reward your effort.

The merman kissed me, and I savoured the salt on his lips with renovated urgency as I came to terms with the fact that the previous night had, indeed, not been a dream.

The rising of the sun caught us in the midst of passion. After our pantings became more regular breathings, he got me up the rock and followed suit. Jumin wrapped me in his arms and we watched the colours of the sky slowly changing from yellow and orange to bright, clear blue. I returned his embrace and placed my head on his chest, paying attention to the beating of his heart. After a while, he spoke.

—I've said goodbye to the merpeople. I've also made my peace with not living under the sea anymore— I lifted my head to observe him, not really sure of what was happening—. Narumi, I'm willing to follow you wherever you might go if you want me by your side.

—Jumin, dear, you can't walk.

He had probably expected me to say something like that, because he showed me a small recipient full of a golden liquid.

—If I drink this, I will become human.

I widened my eyes and nodded violently, but I realized my selfishness before he had time to gulp down the whole thing. I stopped him when the glass touched his lips and cleared my throat.

—I would love it if you went through with this choice, but are you sure? Do you really want to leave the sea behind and become a human?

—I've given it a considerable amount of thought and the answer is yes. I wish to learn more about your world, especially if I get to discover it alongside you.

I finally nodded, too excited over the future ahead of us to worry. He swam towards the shore while I crawled onto the rocks to prevent my towel from getting wet, and I helped him get further into the sand before sitting next to him.

—Are you completely sure?— I asked, my hand sweetly caressing the scales from his tail.

—I am. However… will you continue to love me after I'm no longer a merman?

I looked at him surprised and cupped his face with my hands.

—If anything, I will love you more. You're sacrificing so much for me… and your fins aren't what made me fall for you, silly.

We kissed, and I felt how he relaxed in my arms. When he was finally ready, he drank the potion and we waited for it to act while lost in an embrace. He shivered a bit and it didn't take long for him to lose consciousness, so I guarded his sleep and held his head on my lap while caressing his hair and face. I took a few trips to the shore to get some water and hydrate both of us; soon, I realized the upper scales of his tail had vanished to leave on their stead spotless human skin. The V between his legs was dangerously approaching the zone where his… you-know-what would be, so I took the towel and covered him with it. I thought of running to the store to get some food and a swimsuit for him before he woke up, but I didn't want to leave him alone.

The sun was nearing the horizon by the time I noticed Jumin had feet. I smiled excitedly, examining his face to find human ears where his fins used to be. It was only a matter of time before he woke up.

I kissed his cheek and talked to him, telling him how he was already a human and asking him to wake up. At some point I started humming a melody and, not too long after that, his eyes flickered open again.

—Narumi?

—Jumin, dear, you're human now! You have legs!

He smiled, still a bit sleepy. I helped him sit up and he observed every new detail on his body. He chuckled to the weird sensation of moving his feet for the first time and then proceeded to remove the towel and see what was underneath. I blushed and looked elsewhere, but of course, Jumin had questions. And no shame. Poor thing didn't understand the embarrassment of it.

—I think there might be something wrong with it— he then said, and I gazed into his eyes with a silent question—. It's… stiff. And standing up. Is it normal? How could men possibly walk like this?

—There's nothing wrong with you, don't worry— I muttered, my face well hidden on his neck. My cheeks were burning when I decided I had to tell him what it meant, but he smirked as soon as he knew.

—So I can finally prove my love to you as a human. Shall we try?

—Well, I'd probably have to teach you how to move your legs and walk beforehand— I stuttered, but he dismissed my words by holding my chin on his fingers and kissing me for the first time since he transformed.

I didn't try to resist him, to be honest. However, I did guide him through it all and made sure that he enjoyed. Having him squirm under me because of my kisses on his neck would surely become one of my biggest hobbies and greatest pleasures.

The sunlight was fading away by the time we rested on the sand again. He cuddled next to me for a few minutes before my belly complained: I hadn't eaten all day, and as soon as I told him he apologized for the trouble.

—It's okay, Jumin, we're going home now. You'll finally try human food!

We both were excited about spending the rest of the day –and week, and month, and year…– together, and I helped him stand up and taught him the basics of walking before commenting how we slept on beds. He was really curious about those, but above all he was eager to get there so that I would stop being hungry. Honoring the fast-learner side of his, he soon walked well enough to go around the streets without getting unwanted attention.

I put the towel around his hips for the short trip back home, and was surprised to see it still empty. We had dinner together and I explained more things he should know about that new world, but the day had been long and the transformation had exhausted him. I soon led him to bed and sang him to sleep.

The following months were kind of funny. Hope and Mary loved Jumin from the beginning, and after a while we told them the truth about his previous merman life and they kept the secret while teaching him some human stuff as well. I had to explain to him that he didn't have to constantly prove his love to me by having sex, although there was not much to complain about in that area. Things just got serious when he realized he loved me all day long and he couldn't cover up all the hours.

When he understood that a kiss, a gift, a hug or even kind words would be enough proof, we both were able to actually sleep a few nights. I also noticed he was still interested in economy, so I bought him books alongside some clothing that he liked. Everything looked good on him, honestly, but he preferred shirts and elegant pants –although I also bought him some jumpers and sports pants so that he could use those at home.

He was way more intelligent that I thought. We'd been together for two months when he began a small business, and a year from that he had already built a small empire and moved important amounts of money. He tried to explain the basics to me, since it was all so logical, but there was just so much I could understand from there. However, I supported him and he showered me in love in return.

Also, we kept the white kitten! After a while and some research, he decided to call her Elizabeth the 3rd –a name fit for a queen. I'd often arrive home to the sight of Jumin relaxedly reading a book and having the sleepy cat on his lap. Needless to say, I never was able to resist joining such view and hugging him fondly.

I took him to the beach from time to time, and we'd spend a few evenings a month on the same spot where we met. He'd often bath and swim, still remembering the technique and being fairly fast, and then he'd invite me to join him on the water. I had assumed by then that I'd never stop being scared… but I also knew that fear I could battle whenever he was by my side.

And by my side he stood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand the end! For now, at least. I hope you liked fluffy Merman Jumin as much as I did, I'll miss writing him in this AU T____T There will be two more upcoming stories with OCs, as you may already know, so if you stick around to read them, thank you! Also, your kudos and comments are very appreciated <3 Have a great day!


	4. Story 2: The Set-up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday, dear readers! Here's the first chapter of the second story, the one about my OCs Hope Waterme and Segismunda. You might know them from _Does this fic is fluffy?_ , so please give them some love if you like them!

The first time I saw her, she was getting into the water with some friends while singing a song I couldn't recognize. As I listened to her voice, I wished for her to never stop singing about being… above water? But wait, she was human! Why did it feel like she was singing a song more fit for a mermaid?

—What's a fire and why does it… what's the word? BUUUUUUUUUUUURN! WHEN'S IT MY TUUUURN? WOULDN'T I LOOOOOOVE, LOVE TO EXPLOOOOOOOORE THE SHORE UP ABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE…!

Her arms were open now, her legs fully submerged on the water while its surface caressed her belly. I sighed, moved by her song, and frowned when she finished it and those two other human girls approached her and hugged her.

She used to sing similar songs or that same one on repeat, and I'd always stare at her well hidden while secretly planning my move. First, I had to get rid of the blonde and the red-headed humans.

One of my closest friends, a merman called Jumin, hadn't figured out that human girls could wear rings. He was smart, so I always teased him regarding destiny and such things because I was surprised to see that it indeed hadn't ocurred to him: he always said how useless rings were when merpeople had interdigital membranes, but both the blonde and the red-headed friends of my favourite human lacked those.

I waited for the perfect oportunity to steal the ring from Jumin and raced towards the shore with it, the merman chasing after me. He was faster, so when I made sure to check that my favourite human was further from us than the other two, I threw the jewel and then the magic happened. I was honestly happy to see that she didn't die, she seemed nice. However, there was only one more to go before the singer was left alone.

My eyes were immediately shot to the last piece of the puzzle. I had another friend, a cocky merman that was “too good for anyone” and who thought that falling in love was silly. Sure, bro, you totally weren't trying to forget how you fell in love with your brother's girlfriend and mourned every passing day without her.

However, he was always up for a challenge. I pointed to him the blonde human before saying that he'd probably be unable to conquer her heart. It didn't take long before he was luring her far from my tiny singing human. That's when I decided my plan could start.

She seemed bored and sad being all alone at the beach. When she bathed again while singing distractedly, I used all the powers of my lungs and sang Part Of Your World –I had learned it with how much she'd repeated it– from underneath the water. She startled, but quickly submerged to see where it was coming from.

I smirked and kept on singing while heading towards a cave nearby. There was a rock in the middle of it, which had likely fallen from the ceiling –you could spot a fairly big hole right on top of it. I sat on the rock and kept on singing, feeling the sunlight directly hitting on me from said hole, and soon enough the human appeared.

Her eyes were instantly wide open: I had prepared myself for said encounter, my hair in a thousand different colours and the white, wet scales on my tail shining with a million rainbows under the light. I finished singing with a smirk, a part of me fairly nervous over her reaction, and I wished for her silence to mean that she had liked my tribute to her.

Instead, she cried.

I panicked when her sobbing became a waterfall of sorrow. I felt my chest hurting and my own sadness building up as well, and above all I was miserable. I had made that beautiful human cry. What kind of monster was I?

I fled right away. I couldn't stand seeing her sadness, and I also wanted my tears to get lost on the sea. That way, it didn't feel like I was crying.

I wanted to distract myself from my infamous failure, but my plan had been so well built that Jumin was spending most of his time sighing for that red-headed human and Dan used his to beat my words. There was nothing for me to do, and I soon found myself returning to the cave where that awful thing had happened.

I hadn't expected the human to be there. Her eyes weren't teary anymore; instead, they were focused on a book while she was sitting on the same rock where I had made the both of us suffer. The light made her look like an angel, one unaware of how beautiful she looked. I neared her from underneath the water and shyly popped my head out when I was close to her.

Her eyes widened to my sight and I felt the need to get the hell away again, but I waited patiently. After a brief moment in which she closed her book, she grabbed the edges of the rock with her little hands and observed me amazed.

—I love how you sing. It was beautiful.

—I thought you hated it. You cried.

—I cried because it was too beautiful. I cry a lot.

I let out a confident smirk and rested my arms on the rock. My hand supported my head as I stared at her dreamily.

—I wanted to impress you— I confessed shamelessly—. Of course, you still sing it better than I do.

—NO WAY!! YOU ARE A MERMAID, OF COURSE YOU SING IT BETTER!

She said it so convinced and almost aggressively that I faltered. Immediately, she blushed and bit her lip. I bit mine as well, because it had never ocurred to me that you could do that. Ouch. It kinda hurt.

—That song was meant to be sung by a mermaid— she repeated, more calmly this time—. Besides, your voice is amazing. I had never heard something so wonderful before.

—Well, have you heard yourself singing?— I nudged her playfully and she smiled ready to argue with me on that, so I placed my finger on her lips to shut her up—. Don't even try. I'm right and you're wrong.

 She pouted and got mad, mumbling stuff through her gritted teeth. I mimicked her, all the while attempting to make my accent sound similar to hers. That made her blush and I smirked.

I climbed on top of the rock and touched her knee. She stopped being angry –it felt like she somehow couldn't– and touched my tail.

 —OUCH!— she startled to my scream; her fingers had barely slipped on my scales.

 —Oh my God, did I hurt you?! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!

 She seemed about to cry again, but I didn't want to leave, so I just shook my head while giggling.

 —I was just teasing you. Of course you didn't hurt me, I'm tougher than that!

 I then took her hand and placed it on my tail, which I then moved so that the rainbows would start dancing in front of us. The colourful light was reflected on her skin, and that only made her beautifuller.

 —You're amazing— she then said with a soft voice—. I never thought I'd get to meet a real-life mermaid…

 I smiled proudly and then searched around. Hey. There was something missing.

—Yo, where are your feet?

—My… why do you want to see my feet?

Her question was full of embarrassment, for some reason. 

—Aaaaaahhh, I wanna see them because I've never been able to see them up close! Pleaaaaaase, just show me, please!

Very reluctantly, she moved her legs until her feet were flat on the rock. I quickly touched them, grabbed them, moved her toes and made an ugly face when I smelled them, but even though she laughed she seemed too shy.

—Thank you for showing me your feet. One day I'll have those as well, and I'll let you see them if you want to!

—Wait… are you planning on becoming human?— I nodded, and she looked sad—. But you're a mermaid, and you're so beautiful… why would you want to leave all that behind?

—TO HAVE FEET. DUH. Also, to explore the upper world without having to crawl around or being kidnapped by some nasty humans. Not that you're nasty, only the kidnappers are. You're cute.

The girl blushed and said that I was cuter, but I mimicked her accent and words and that itself won the argument for me. I then realized something.

—Oh, where are my manners?— I pretended to be looking for them before continuing to talk, secretly loving the sound of her laugh in my ears—. I don't even know your name, and my mother always told me not to talk with strangers…

—My name is Hope— she said giggling. 

—Nice to meet you, Hope! I'm Segismunda, but you can call me Segis or alguita de mis aletas. Whatever you want.

—Al-gee-tih d…?

—Alguita only— I dismissed with a hand. She nodded and repeated it again, that time a bit better. I patted her head.

—Now sing for me, Hope! I want to hear your voice again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaand that was it for today! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to reading the rest of the story. I'm very happy with how it came out <3 As always, your kudos and comments are very much appreciated! Thank you for your support and see you next week! <3


	5. Story 2: The girlfriendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woops, another chapter of the Mermaid AU is out! There'll be a tiiiiny bit of Jumin this time, for those of you who miss this merman as much as I do <3 Enjoy the reading!

We made sure to meet every day from then onwards. I made her sing a lot, and even though I felt a bit guilty sometimes because maybe I was forcing her, she seemed to be enjoying herself. She also blushed like crazy whenever I remarked how beautiful her voice sounded, so I made sure to tell her really often.

I also loved exploring her body, especially the parts that were different from mine. She wouldn't let me take off her clothes, so I settled with observing her ears really closely and touching wherever there was naked skin. It was weird to feel it constantly dry, but it was soft instead of slippery. It felt good.

—Okay, you've let me play with your ears a lot, why don't you show me your feet now?

—You've already seen them…

—But I like them! They're so funny, and you have toooooes, and I don't…

I pouted and she caved in unwillingly. I noticed, and again I felt bad for forcing her, so I tilted my head to look into her eyes.

—Why don't you want me to see your pieses?

She let out a faint smile but stared at the floor.

—Because they're ugly— she finally whispered. I widened my eyes.

—But they're the most amazing pieses I've seen in my entire life! They're so small and cute and funny! I love them so so so so much!!

I hugged her left foot while trying to convince her of a truth I saw very clearly. Her eyes lit up, a bit embarrassed still, but happier than before, and I smiled from ear to… wait, from fin to fin. That made her smile more.

—It's not as if you've seen a lot of feet to compare, though…

—I don't care! I don't need to see a lot of feet to know that these are my favourite, just like I don't need to know all humans to be sure that you're my favourite out of them all.

She seemed surprised to hear that. She slowly sat normally again, her back really straight, and she nailed her eyes on mine.

—Segis, do you…? Do you have a boyfriend?

—Nope!

—What about a… girlfriend?

—Again, nope! Why would I tie myself to someone under the sea if I'm planning on becoming part of the human world? Part of your wooooorld…— I sang before giggling.

Her hands wandered on my tail again. She was usually shy when it came to touching me in any way, but I absolutely adored the feeling of her fingers caressing my scales and braiding my hair.

—Segis, I like you.

I had been relaxing, so my eyes went fully open in a second and searched for her. Her face was redder than ever, and she also seemed smaller. I guessed she was feeling vulnerable, so I laughed it off.

—Hope, silly girl, you don't like me. You just think I'm cool (which I am) because I'm a mermaid.

—That's not…

—If you did like me, wouldn't you want me to kiss you?

My face was dangerously close to her. I had assumed she'd back away startled, but she remained put.

—K-kiss me. 

So she wanted me to prove it, fair enough. I held her face in my hands and closed the distance between us, pressing my lips on hers on a tender kiss. Her arms were quick to circle my neck and attract me further towards her, which caught me off guard. She was really enjoying it, wasn't she?

I let out a mischievous grin while I kissed her. My hands climbed from her waist up to her breasts, and I finally held and massaged them as I'd been wanting to do ever since I first saw her. She moaned, making my excitement grow even more, and I chose not to repress myself anymore. As a result, I got Hope to squirm and moan below me, her body unable to take in all that pleasure at once. I was satisfied with my job, but there was this ugly feeling inside me attempting to come up. I didn't want to focus on that, so I kissed her lips once more before I smiled. 

—See? You don't really like me, you were just horny.

I almost saw the bubble of happiness that was surrounding her explode all of a sudden. She stared at me with a frown on her beautiful face.

—Why would you say that? I do really like you!

—Anyone could have done what I just did to you, so would you like them all?

—What…— she blinked several times, her arms covering her breasts. I sighed, I missed those already—. That doesn't make any sense. I wanted you to do all that stuff because I like you! I wouldn't let anyone else kiss me or… or touch me like that!

It was my turn to frown. Had she started speaking Russian or was I just terrible at understanding stuff? Her eyes became watery and I startled. No, I couldn't let her cry again.

—Why won't you believe me when I say I like you? Silly mermaid…

I embraced her and she hugged me back, her head buried on my neck. My mind was trying to process those very complicated ideas that she was trying to make me understand, and soon we were lying on the rock cuddling. I liked listening to her heartbeat. As cheerful and energetic as I always was, that was almost the only thing able to soothe me.

—So… you like me? You really do?

—I really do— she answered, her voice dripping so much adoration that not even I could mistake it. I tightened my embrace and kissed her skin. It was still hard to assimilate, so at least I rewarded her for saying those words with more of those kisses that were probably a bigger reward for me anyway.

It was already late in the night when she told me for the fourth time she had to leave. I told her that I couldn't give her pleasure if she left and that almost made her cry, so I reluctantly withdrew from her after promising that I would wait for her there the following day. 

She went away with that precious smile, and I thought it would be cool if I got to put it there every day from then onwards. With that idea in mind and the nasty feeling still trying to get ahold of my attention, I swam towards the other beach in time to see a red-headed girl heading from the rocks to the shore. When I neared the spot she had come from, I found Jumin still smiling like a fool, more relaxed than I'd ever seen him.

—Míralo ahí, to enamoraíto— I said with a smirk. He shot me a bewildered glance and nodded when I translated my words.

—I must thank you for your intervention that day— his tone was solemn—. That's why I hate to have to ask you for yet another favor.

—Jumin, we're friends, just cut the crap and tell me. What is it?

—I want to become human and I know you know how to do it. 

—Just for that girl? Are you sure?

He glanced at the spot where she had disappeared, and I knew how it broke his heart to watch her go –because I felt the same. That's why I decided to give him one of the potions I had been guarding.

—This will be enough for you to turn into a human, but I don't think you'll ever be able to become a merman again.

—I know. Thank you for your concern— he grabbed the potion, then stuttered—. Do you have enough for yourself?

—Yes, don't worry— I dismissed with a movement of my hand—. Are you going to take it right away? 

—No, I'm planning on saying my goodbyes to everyone else tonight; I also want to ask Narumi before I do this, make sure that she wants it as much as I do.

—Seguro que sí, hombre. Parece to maja. Will you introduce us one day?

—I'd love to— his smile turned a bit sad, but I wasn't worried that he might cry because he was almost as bad with emotions as I was—. There won't be much I'll miss from the sea, but I'll surely miss you. Your friendship has been very important to me.

I patted his shoulder awkwardly.

—I'm sure we'll see each other around. You know, you can always come visit!

—Perhaps we'll run into each other once we're both humans.

I laughed a bit uneasy, but he didn't seem to notice. I told him to go say goodbye to everyone else before thinking about the future, not so sure of what would happen to me.

I swam a bit, diving into the water until I got to the bottom. I was more conscious of my tail and fins, the way the water moved around my body, and once I got to the ocean floor, I attempted to stand up and walk like a human. My fins weren't acting like feet at all, but it was funny to try. It wasn't my first time doing something like that, but it surely was the first time I wasn't sure of whether that would become a reality for me or not. I then remembered Hope bitting her lip and mimicked it, but it still hurt. Why would she do something like that to herself?

I was already heading towards our cave –Hope's and mine– when I passed near the spot where I'd seen Jumin for the last time. He was there with the red-headed girl on what seemed to be a passionate make-out session, and as tempted as I felt to say something to them, I also couldn't wait to have my own session with Hope. I swam faster only to find that she wasn't still there.

I waited around, bored, swimming around while singing a few silly songs and making bubbles in the water with my mouth until I became a giggly mess. Hope found me like that and I invited her to join me, opening my arms into the water. Needless to say, I was still surprised to see that she indeed jumped right in –splashing me with lots of water and everything– before stretching me in her arms.

—Hi, alguita! Can I kiss you?

—You must, for I've spent the whole night longing for this moment!— I said dramatically, knowing all too well that it would provoke a blush on her cheeks.

She kissed me a bit too willingly, and that's when I actually realized all the truth that my previous words held; all of a sudden, her lips felt like a drug from which I couldn't get enough. I devoured every bit of her completely shocked over my own need, but Hope seemed to be enjoying herself.

And then, it hit me. I stopped kissing her and stared at her, my sudden epiphany reflected in my face as I struggled to make peace with that idea.

—I'm in love with you, Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand only one more chapter of this story to go! Even though they are OCs, I hope those of you reading are liking the story so far <3 Thanks for your support, both comments and kudos mean the world to me! Have a nice week and a very Merry Christmas!!


	6. Story 2: Did it for the flamingos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, dear readers! Before the year ends, here's the last chapter of the second mermaid story <3 There will be one last mermaid story to finish this collection, and after that I'll probably start a poll on tumblr (mine is http://soulwithoutmate.tumblr.com/ in case you didn't know) to see if any of you are interested in a couple more mermaid stories, this time featuring another Mystic Messenger characters that haven't had their own story. But that's sort of a spoiler, so… happy reading! <3

She took my hand and put it on her chest for me to feel the crazy beating of her heart. I did the same with her free hand, and we astonishedly looked into each other's eyes as we both learned at the same time that that huge feeling called love was mutual. It was the best day of my life… or so I thought then.

I leaned in to kiss her again, amazed at how different that gesture felt all of a sudden. She kissed me back with urgency at first, though she slowed down when she realized it wasn't that kind of kiss. It was odd to know what she was feeling without having to ask. It had never happened to me before.

After our slow and very profound make-out session ~~that may or may not have ended in my taking off all of her clothes~~ , we cuddled together and I talked nonstop about everything that came to mind. We had our hands together, but that didn't feel like enough sometimes. I ended up embracing her whole, our bodies touching in almost every possible way so that we were as close as we could.

—Am I too clingy?— I jokingly asked at one point, my tail rolled on her leg while swinging from side to side.

She giggled and shook her head.

—You should be clingier.

—What if you get tired of me? 

—That could never happen! Silly, wonderful mermaid.

She pecked my nose and I smiled brightly. I took her into the water for a swim, and when she got a bit tired we stopped to rest and I sang to her because she had requested it. However, my voice lost strength gradually until completely fading away. She asked me what was wrong and my mouth answered instantly.

—Do you have a boyfriend?

—No, and I also don't have a girlfriend. That is, unless you w…

—And have you ever had a boyfriend?

She blushed, which meant what I thought it did. I probably looked really angry at that moment, because she sounded guilty when she spoke.

—Everyone has a past, alguita, what matters is the present. I'm sure you've also had… partners at one point.

I shook my head, knowing all too well I wasn't entitled to feeling that way. Hope hugged me and I decided to go full on masochist.

—Tell me about him.

She seemed about to refuse to do it, but in the end she gave in and told me stuff about him: how cute he was, and funny, and smart, but also how he sometimes was too attached to the past and couldn't see things clearly. They had decided to break up and continue as friends due to his inability to move on, yet she still cared for him deeply. I embraced her closer to me. 

—If he moved on now, would you go back to him?

—Not a chance!— she spoke so confidently that I looked at her with wide eyes—. I'd be happy for him, but right now I'm in love with someone else.

—Who?— my question came up a bit teasingly, for I suspected I knew who she was talking about. She giggled, noticing the change in my mood.

—Someone more perfect! She's funny…

—Funnier than him?

—Way funnier! The funniest person I know— she nodded and I buried my head in her boobs—. She's also more beautifuller, and interesting, and cheerful, and bright, and energetic, and clever, and curious, and amazingly weird, and… 

—And…?

I waited, looking at her with enthusiastic eyes, and she caressed my cheek tenderly.

—And the one I love. Segis.

I squealed like a weird, probably sick dolphin and proceeded to kiss her everywhere while she giggled. I loved when she giggled, so I kissed her more and she laughed more, and my life right then was complete.

—So, alguita— she sighed when I finally let her rest a bit, her cheeks still red and her smile impossible to hide. God, I wanted to stare at her like that forever—. The past is in the past, okay? And my heart is only yours now, and we don't even have to talk about it if it bothers you.

I nodded, still a bit uneasy. I guessed it would have to take time for me to fully assimilate it, so I decided to keep on enjoying the moments with her until then. However, she seemed to want to talk.

—So, uhm… are you still planning on becoming a human? 

—Oh, that— I felt a lump in my throat while I desperately tried to look normal (a quién quieres engañar, Segismunda, nO ERES NORMAL)—. Nah, I think I'll pass.

Why did she look so sad all of a sudden? What… wait, no, was she going to cry? If I buried her head in the water that didn't cound like crying, did it?

—Well, I guess it's fun to be a mermaid— she blurted, faking a smile. WHY WAS SHE DOING THAT—. It's just… you looked so eager to become human, what happened? 

—I… fell in love with you. 

We both stared at each other bewildered and teary-eyed. Then, the ugly-crying began.

—Why would falling in love with me be a reason to not become a human?— she sobbed—. Am I not good enough?

—You are— I cried (qué deprimente todo, ay madre, imaginadnos ahí las dos abrazadas y llorándonos la una a la otra. En verdad es hasta gracioso)—. But what if I stop being a mermaid and then you see how plain I truly am?! What if you stop liking me because I don't have shiny scales anymore, or because I can't sing Part of Your World with it being true?!

—OMG I WANT YOU TO BE WITH ME EVEN IF YOU TURN INTO A FROG!!

—PROMISE YOU'LL LOVE ME EVEN AFTER I'M NOT A COOL MERMAID.

—I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER, YOU SILLY MERMAID, SO STOP CRYING AND GO GET YOUR LEGS ALREADY!!!

I swam away as fast as I could, my heart beating strongly against my chest throughout the entire trip. It didn't take long for me to get back, and I kissed Hope passionately as soon as I saw her before gulping down the whole beverage.

—Wait, are you s…?

I crumbled in her arms, shivering, but I nodded. It had to be scary in order to be an adventure, right? I relaxed quickly, my eyelids irremediably closing while Hope caressed my face and back.

—Hope… tell me stuff about the human world… 

She understood my whisper and ranted about it, telling me about humans first, then about a few weird habits they had and finally about more animals beyond humans. I was drifting away into unconsciousness when she spoke about pink birds called flamingos, and they were so awesome that I assumed I was already dreaming.

It was the worst sleep ever. I woke up stiff and exhausted, though I soon felt a pair of arms on me.

—Hope…?

—Segis— she was sobbing, but I could tell it was happy sobbing—. You're human and I love you so so so much!

It was the greatest wake up of them all.

I was too tired to have a full make-out session, so she helped me stand up and taught me to walk. I was dressed with the spare clothes she had brought for herself, which were a bit small for me, but she promised she'd get me new clothing the following day. As it seemed, the transformation had been a pretty long process and it was already dark as hell. Wait. Is hell dark? It has fire and stuff, doesn't it?

—Is hell dark?— I asked out loud.

—It depends on your conception of it, I guess. Now let's go before you faint of exhaustion.

I stumbled on my feet, seen as I couldn't handle myself properly, and she circled my waist with an arm to help me stand up. I hated that I was so out of energy because I couldn't enjoy walking for the very first time, but as soon as I woke up the following day my new life started.

I fell a lot, but I walked and ran and jumped. I totally loved jumping. I also learned every possible sport humans could learn and absolutely loved how my body reacted to exercise and movement. Of course, I was still awesome at swimming and did it often, as the water was and would always be my second home.

Hope introduced me to her friends and that's when I ran into Jumin as well; it was funny to see him in human clothes and I pretended to not know him until we had a second alone. When we could talk privately, we decided that it was safe for the three girls to learn our previous nature since two of them already knew and accepted it. After it was revealed, I stalked Narumi and offered her information about Jumin in exchange for information about Hope. Whenever one of their birthdays or something like that came up, we would spend days plotting to get them the best presents and make those days special for them.

The first time I had my period, however… en mi defensa diré que es una putada y que yo no sabía nada. I woke up from my siesta in a pool of blood and automatically felt like I was dying. Oh, God, was I??? Hope found me crying and, in between sobs, I told her that I loved her and that I was sad that we hadn't had more time together because she had been the best thing that happened to me in my entire life. I made her sob as well, so it took her a good twenty minutes to explain what was really going on. 

I changed and put on a pad, but there was so much blood that I didn't really believe her. Narumi and Mary came to check on us and they told me that what was happening to me was normal, and I began believing them when Jumin himself showed up and told me lots of stuff about hormones and ovaries in detail. I felt ashamed after all I put everyone through, but we ended up laughing about it; after that, every month I would say my goodbyes to Hope and be super dramatic, although without all the crying.

I asked her at one point if flamingos were real. I didn't dare to believe her when she said they were, but as soon as I saw pictures of them I fell in love and then fell deeper in love with Hope when she gave me clothes with flamingos drawn on them and stuff. She was just perfect. No, wait, she was beyond perfect. Some days I'd stare at her and ask her why she loved me, and when she answered with bright pink cheeks and her words stumbled out of her mouth quickly because there were so many reasons, I loved her more.

I had always liked the human world, but I never thought I could enjoy it that much if she was by my side. She used to say I made everything funnier: well, she made everything worthy. She made life worth living with every smile, with every nice word, even with every time she pouted and fluffed her cheeks while furiously stating that my feet looked better than hers. They didn't. Nothing looked better than her. More so the day of our wedding.

Thankfully, I'm not a cheesy person, which means I won't bore you with the details of how I asked her to marry me, how she said yes and how I told her that she should be wearing wedding dresses for the rest of her life after I saw her walking down the aisle. What I will tell you, though, is that I spent the rest of my life travelling the world with that woman and I never stopped being thankful for my luck.

And for flamingos. I'm very thankful for flamingos as well. They're real and they're awesome!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was it for Hope and Segis! Thank you for reading so far, I hope the next and last story will be worth your time as well <3 And just in case I don't manage to upload something tomorrow, have a great New Year's Eve and an even greater 2018! <3


	7. Story 3: Rocking the way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, a bit too late in the day but I'm here! I bring you the first chapter of the third and last mermaid story, hopefully you'll enjoy it <3 It starrs two more OCs of mine, Mary Goatkeeper from _Does this fic is fluffy?_ and a new one called Dan. Thank you for reading!

—Stop throwing pebbles at me.

Dan let out his cocky smile to a very unimpressed Mary, who just kept on staring at him with her arms crossed.

—Maybe I would if you asked more politely, blondie— he replied while playing with another pebble he had on his hand.

—Oh, well, excuse me, sir! Would you be so kind as to not assault me with projectiles that actually hurt? Thank you very much!

She was obviously mad when she turned around to leave, and since Dan couldn't go out of the water for obvious reasons, his first instinct was to stop her… by throwing the pebble to her. Way to go, champ.

As expected, Mary was angry. She turned back around and started heading towards the water while talking rushedly.

—You have no right to stalk and assault me like that, not even if society has made you believe you can— she advanced towards him with an accusatory finger, and he simply held his eyebrow upwards while remaining put. The smirk wouldn't go away, which furtherly ignited Mary's speech—. I don't care how good looking you think you are or how many girls have fallen for that stupid, lame, childish trick of yours, but I won't stand any of this bullshit. If you ever do as little as talk to me again, I will call the police and smack a restraining order on that sufficient smile of yours.

When she stopped talking, she noticed there was something odd with him. His long, dark, straight hair was covering both of his ears, and his fingers weren't placed in a natural position: they were all stuck together, although he concealed that oddity by crossing his arms. His torso and face looked normal –too attractive for their own damn good, probably–, but his features were somehow different. Something about him made her think that he was not entirely human –which, of course, was as crazy as it sounded.

—Are you done talking?

—Yes.

—Well, good luck getting out of here then.

She had been expecting an apology, so when he instead waved her bikini bottom on his hand, she wanted to kill the man. She also wanted to kill Hope for convincing her of wearing one of those bikinis that were tied with straps on the side, because they were clearly too easy to take off. And by jerks like the one in front of her, nonetheless.

—Give it back _now_.

—What's in it for me if I give it to you?

—Your face intact, is that enough?

—I would much prefer it if I got a kiss from the lady whose reputation I'm saving.

He got a slap in the face. A strong one. He then also got a view of Mary's barely covered buttcheeks as she got out of the water, one hand in the front, the other in the back. The cove in which they were was full of people, though the part where Dan and Mary had had their encounter happened to be behind a few rocks and no one was there to bother them. Just Dan to bother Mary, but that's another story.

He shamelessly stared at her before throwing the bikini bottom her way. She felt something on her head and panicked before realizing what it was, but didn't lose time and put it right back on.

—There you go, babe. Now, would you mind staying here for a bit longer?

—Why would I do that?

Her voice sounded strong, but also a bit too fed up. She wasn't having any fun with his little game, and that was only making it more challenging for him.

—My friend's trying to hit on your friend, so it would be cool if you gave her time.

—You're the greatest jerk I've met all summer long, why would I let any of your friends anywhere near mine?

The insult only got another cocky smile from the insulted, who didn't seem bothered at all by Mary's defiant attitude.

—Because she's not a jerk. She actually deserves a chance…

—Unlike you— she interrupted him.

—Yeah, well, I'll have to accept that not everyone can keep up with me. Sometimes my perfection intimidates people, what can I do about it?

Mary wanted to punch the guy. Dan was having the time of his life, seen as he'd picked up on the fact that she couldn't let him get his way.

—You can start by getting out of the water and saying that stuff to me face to face. Or are you scared?

—I'd rather stay here. See, I'm so hot I may burn you down if there isn't enough water between us.

—I'll take the risk. Or could it be…? Oh…— to her sudden realization, Mary started giggling. Dan looked uninterested on the outside, but he was all questions underneath his smug face when Mary started nearing him, entering the water with a smile.

—Maybe you can't get out of the water… because you have NO PANTS!

She immediately submerged her head to see for herself; Dan pulled her out of the water as soon as mermanly possible, but the damage was done. Her eyes were wide open.

—You… are not… human.

He nailed angry eyes on her, although his insides were a bubbling mess of furiousness that he wasn't going to let through. He was in the midst of a dilemma when Mary tried to get rid of his hands; as a response, they held her arms with more strength.

—You're hurting me! Let me go!

That was the one thing he couldn't do. Under pressure, the only solution he found was the underwater cave nearby, so he dismissed her attempts to get away and pulled her closer before diving into the water. It took Mary by surprise, although she immediately closed her mouth to stop the air from getting out. She was scared, however. Was he going to drown her because she had found out about mermaids? He'd been a jerk with her, sure, but he didn't feel like a murderer…

She gave up on her theories as the seconds flew by. She was running out of air and they were only going deeper, her arms and legs were by then too numb to resist and… and… wait, were they going upwards?

Mary was about to collapse by the time her head broke through the surface of the water. Air! She breathed rapidly, and since she was too weak to focus on anything else, Dan carelessly tossed her on the floor of the cavern.

There were a lot of questions on Mary's head while she recovered, but she asked the obvious one as soon as she could speak again.

—Why have you kidnapped me?— her voice sounded equally hoarse and angry.

—I need time to think of what I'm going to do with you. I probably can't let you go now that you know.

—Now that I know what? That you're a mermaid?

—Merman— he interrupted her with a frown. She kept on talking anyway.

—I won't tell anyone, I don't even care about it, so let me go!

Dan admired Mary's courage, although he could see her subtle shacking and knew that she wasn't feeling that brave on the inside.

—Your word won't be enough on this one, kid. Just stay quiet and let me think about what to do next.

And did she stay put? HA, of course not. She waited for the right moment to suddenly jump into the water and swam as fast as she could to get out of there. At first her heart was beating like crazy, knowing that the cocky merman would follow her right away, so the air she'd gathered before diving in almost got out entirely after she saw him swimming calmly next to her. Of course, he was showcasing a sufficient grin.

Mary didn't understand why he'd just relaxedly follow her without attempting to capture her until she noticed. She was swimming way too slowly. There was no way she'd make it to the shore before drowning. She started panicking, but stubbornly tried to move faster and faster as her air stockings quickly decreased in her lungs. Her movements became more forced and irregular, and that's when Dan took her in his arms again and got them both back on the cave.

Mary almost lost consciousness before arriving, but she remained awake and threw up some water that she'd involuntarily swallowed. He patted her back sufficiently –okay, how could someone be so sufficient as to pat backs that way?–, his smirk gaining a bad look from her, and then he laughed.

—I've seen sea turtles faster than you, little starfish. Were you really trying hard to escape or was it just an excuse so that I could save you? You know, physical contact doesn't need to happen only when you're killing yourself…

Mary was too exhausted to be mad. She just shot him an unhappy look and sighed, still trying to steady her breathing.

—Stop mocking me and please, get me out of here. I don't want to worry my friends by disappearing, and I really have no interest on saying anything about mermaids. They wouldn't believe me anyway.

She didn't look dangerous, even Dan could see that. He weighed his options and reluctantly opted for “doing the right thing” –duh.

—Hold on to me, starfish. We're on for a wild ride with an actual (and fairly good-looking) swimmer.

Mary felt too relieved to hate the merman or despise his narcissistic traits. She took a deep breath. Immediately, Dan was rushing out of the cave as fast as he could –partly to get her as soon as possible to the shore, but also to brag about his swimming skills. Since she was about to savour freedom again, she kind of enjoyed the trip underwater. The speed was nice, even thrilling, and there was so much underwater that she never got to see because of her human condition.

They got to the surface pretty quickly, though, so there was not much for Mary to enjoy. She remained glued to the merman, who wouldn't move closer to the shore.

—Have you turned into a sticky octopus now or am I _that_ irresistible?— he let out a deep laugh when she got away from him and began swimming towards the shore, too flustered to do anything beyond ignoring him—. Hey, it's the last time you'll be seeing me and you're not even going to kiss me goodbye or anything? If I were you, I wouldn't miss the chance!

—I'll risk it!— she said, still swimming towards the shore—. Best kidnapping ever! Would 100% not recommend it!

Once she was out of the water, she waved a hand goodbye without even looking back. Dan watched her leaving while placing private bets with himself on how long it would take for her to go back there. He settled for “No more than a day”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was it for today, just two more chapters to finish. Are you liking the OCs so far, or should I have a talk with Dan so that he isn't that big of a jerk? Again, thank you for your kudos and comments, they do mean a lot to me! Have a great week! <3


	8. Story 3: It's not a big deal until it is

First stage: impatience. Dan's back was leaned on a rock nearby the shore. Almost 24 hours had passed since his encounter with the human starfish and she wasn't there. Of course, the possibility of her hating him didn't even cross his mind because he wouldn't lose time with impossibles.

Second stage: realization. “Something must've happened to her”, he thought then. The girl had probably died! Or was very ill –those humans can't hold their cold water for too long, huh?–, or maybe… yeah, that made sense: she thought he was a dream. Obviously. He looked like one, he sounded like one, hell, he was the dream (mer)man. He was too good to be real, and that had likely been her train of thought. Although… the beach existed. Why hadn't she at least gone for a walk around there, holding on to the faint hope of seeing the most wonderful creature ever even if it was just once more?

 ~~(Elizabeth the)~~ Third stage: indifference. There were a thousand reasons that could rationally explain why she wasn't back there, and Dan didn't care about any of them. Actually, he was glad about not having to deal with that obnoxious girl anymore, or so he told himself.

He wandered through the sea with not much to do. That's when he saw Jumin in the distance talking to a human girl on a rock. They were sharing a book and it seemed like she was teaching him how to read. Blerg. He wanted to puke rainbows, although he had never seen that faint smile on Jumin's face and was, at the very least, curious as to where it would all lead to.

Dan then headed towards Segis' secret spot –a cave nearby, he'd discovered it a while ago but respected her privacy– and, as expected, he found her there shooting dreamy glances to that other human girl. He laughed to himself, careful as to not be seen by them, and enjoyed watching the curly haired human utterly flustered before Segismunda's bold moves. After a while, though, it became boring, so he just went back into the deep sea.

Mary, on the other hand, was alone at the beach. Not the cove where everything had happened, but the big one where everyone was playing and sunbathing. She was completely focused on reading her book, a very geeky one based on a videogame she loved. She had brought some delicious lunch with her, so she ate it when the hour for it arrived without taking her eyes off the pages.

The gap between the sun and the horizon was quickly being closed by the time Mary huffed and let the book aside. She stared at the water, thinking of the previous day's events, and she was about to be convinced that it had all been a dream. A nightmare, to be more precise. Still… it had felt so real…

She shook her head, mad that her friends had left her alone just like that. She didn't really mind being on her own, but it had been already two days in a row. Where were they?

Just in time, she saw Narumi's figure walking and waving at her.

—Why are you alone, wasn't Hope with you?— she asked when she got there. Mary noticed her slightly blushed cheeks, but opted for not saying anything about those.

—She left a bit after we arrived here, I don't know where she is. Do you think something's happened to her?

They both remembered Narumi's little accident not that long ago. However, before either of them could get worried, Hope ran towards them with little excited jumps.

—Hi, girls! Are you going to be staying a bit longer or do you want us to head home?

—I'm a bit tired— Narumi said—, but you two can stay while I start making dinner if you want to.

—What about getting something to eat instead and watching a movie together?— Mary suggested.

They all excitedly agreed on it; Hope and Narumi, however, were strangely reluctant to getting sushi for dinner and they ended up ordering some pizzas before taking turns into the shower. Needless to say, whenever one of them started shower-singing, the other two would sing along right next to the door. Hope insisted –again– on watching _The Little Mermaid_ – _again_ – and Mary and Narumi were smart and tired enough to not argue about it.

Narumi went to sleep as soon as the movie was over, poor thing was exhausted. Hope, however, was a bit too excited to close her eyes and lay still, so she and Mary talked and that's when she decided to tell her.

—I… have met _someone_.

—Really? Who?— Mary asked sincerely curious. Hope's blush intensified.

—Uhm… she's just perfect and funny and beautiful and I like her a looooooooot. And she sings so well, but she insists that I sing better and I askldnsfkkgonfdjn!!!

Hope's face was buried on her pillow and Mary laughed. She suddenly thought of the merman's words trying to buy time for his friend to make a move on Mary's friend. Was it… was it her? Was it _them_? Still, she couldn't ask Hope if her new crush was human. What if she didn't know herself?

—Are you going to ask her out?

Hope shook her head.

—She's too amazingly amazing to like me.

—Well, maybe you should give it a try. Who knows, she might like you even more than you like her.

They chatted a bit more before heading to bed. Mary closed her eyes, ready to sleep, and soon found out that she couldn't. A lot of questions were bubbling inside her head, and she absolutely hated the taste that unfinished business left in her mouth. She crawled out of bed, put on some shorts and a T-shirt and headed to the beach with a towel over her shoulders as a coat.

Swiftly stepping on the sand helped relax her a lot. She loved the beach at night, the dim light of the moon reflected on the water alongside the stars splattered around, the complete silence that the lack of noisy human beings brought, the peace over all. She hadn't intended to go back to the place were her encounter with the merman had happened, but now that she was there she observed it and sat down on the sand for a while. It would be okay as long as she didn't go into the water.

The breeze was not as cold near the sea, so Mary let the towel roll down her shoulders a bit while playing with the sand. She found a pebble and arched an eyebrow, remembering the merman. Needless to say, she felt relieved that he wasn't there to annoy her any further.

Mary held the pebble on her hand, playing with it for a bit. Her arm suddenly jerked backwards and she threw the pebble as far as she could into the ocean, hearing the _plop_ it made with delight. It was kind of relaxing, so she ended up throwing pebbles into the sea while trying to make them bounce.

She was having fun until a hand shot out of the water rapidly and caught one of her pebbles mid-air. She startled and quickly frowned when the figure arose: it was him.

—You were calling for me and now you're leaving? What an indecisive little starfish.

She had to admit that his voice was something else. She absolutely hated how she felt the need to stay and spit some ugly words into his ~~beautiful~~ face, although it kind of worked as a therapy as well, so in the end she decided to remain put and make her time useful by getting some answers.

—I wasn't calling for you, but now that you're here… what are your friend's intentions towards mine?

—To be honest, I have no idea. I think she likes her, but she's always been oblivious to the advances others have tried to make on her.

Mary was shocked. She had gotten an actual response from the jerk? Without any “what do I get in exchange?” bullshit? He looked at her with that cunning smirk, his arm leaning against a rock as he focused on… on… being beautiful, I guess. Not that he had to focus that much, those kinds of things came naturally to him.

—Is she a good person?— Mary asked then, prepared to get all the information she could until the jerk came back.

—Yeah. Probably not as awesome as I am— ugh, there he was again—, but she's cool. She won't hurt your friend, if that's what you're worried about.

—Why are you such a jerk?

The question escaped Mary's lips without her being able to do anything, but she didn't regret it. He laughed and neared the shore just a tiny bit more, although it wasn't enough for her to see his merman tail.

—If I kissed you, you'd stop thinking that way, little starfish. Wanna give it a try?

—No, thanks— she sighed, remembering why she didn't want to talk to him again in the first place. However, she still had lots of questions about the world underwater and he was her only chance at getting to know anything.

—Your loss.

They both watched the night sky in silence, shooting sneaky glances at each other from time to time. When their eyes accidentally met, he winked at her and she huffed, but she wasn't as mad as she had been the other day.

—Tell me stuff about mermaids.

—Nope.

He seemed normal, but his negative had sounded a bit too rough. Mary looked at him confused.

—Why not?

—I don't have to explain myself to you. The answer is no, period— he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and frowned—. Do not insist.

—I just want to understand your answer. Or do you prefer my thinking that you're a jerk?

—You can have your own, wrong opinion. I don't have to prove anything to you. Now stop asking.

Dan was slightly annoyed, though he didn't let it show through his façade. Mary covered herself more with the towel, somewhat uneasy, but left her eyes nailed on his figure.

—Can I at least know what's your name? I'm tired of thinking of you as _The Jerk_.

He let out a low growl that was supposed to be a laugh before staring at her with his most seductive eyes –which, let's be honest, were always seductive but more if he was putting actual effort. Mary shivered.

—I'm Dan.

 _“Now you know what to moan when you're touching yourself while picturing me”_ , he thought, though he wasn't dumb enough to say it out loud. At least, not that soon. He just let out a sly smirk.

—Well, I'm Mary— she said after waiting for a while for him to ask and seeing that he wouldn't.

—Oh, see, that's up to me to decide. As far as I'm concerned, you're starfish.

Mary was triggered. She grabbed a pebble from nearby and threw it “at” him. Her lack of aim made a completely unbothered Dan contemplate how the pebble flew way too far from him. He then smiled at her.

—Nice shot!

—Shut up! Stop being a jerk, every time you open your mouth you ruin everything!

He was actually surprised to see her so worked up.

—You know, I can do other stuff with my mouth besides talking. You'd probably enjoy that more…

—Stop hitting on me in such a gross way! Just… stop!

—Let me guess: you want me to stop because if I go on, you'll end up falling for me.

—If I fall for you, I'll kill myself.

—Don't make promises you won't be able to keep.

He had neared the shore with the waves and was now lending a pebble to her. She looked at him, bewildered, then back at the stone.

—C'mon, throw this one. If you hit that rock, I'll leave you alone.

She tried and at first became utterly frustrated when he laughed or clapped sarcastically, but throwing pebbles was actually serving to relax her. She also found herself less bothered by his comments, which also turned less and less harming until they sort of became an amiable teasing. Don't get me wrong, Mary still couldn't stand Dan, but she could stand that new, not-that-much-of-a dickhead version of him a bit more.

—Wow, finally!— he applauded when Mary got the challenge done and she heavily sat down on the sand—. That's my cue, then. See ya, starfish!

—Wait!

Dan was about to dive into the water when her shout stopped him. He turned around, one eyebrow arched as he could almost see his goals being reached.

—You can stay as long as you don't act like a jerk— she finally said—. We can just… talk.

—What about making out a little?— he suggested with an iddle smile. However, his tone wasn't as conceited as before (or that's how Mary understood it), because she simply let out an effortless chuckle.

—Just talking.

—Alright, for now.

And, surprisingly, they held a normal conversation. Dan still let out a few of his typical comments, but soon enough Mary realized that half of the time he didn't even mean those. Apart from that, he was quite a good talker and also listened to her few rantings with attention; they both knew soon that they'd learn a lot from each other.

There were banned topics, of course. Dan would barely talk about the world underwater, and even though he didn't give an actual reason to refuse, Mary eventually picked up on his subtle rage towards humans in general. She didn't understand why he didn't hate her in particular, though the reason was simple: he knew she wasn't dangerous.

A splash of water on Mary's face made her eyes flutter open rapidly. The fury was already gathering up on her when she distinguished Dan's face before hers.

—Mary, you're falling asleep while I'm speaking to you. Are you that exhausted?

She rubbed her eyes before paying a quick look to the sky: it was already dawn.

—I should get back home— she muttered while gathering her things.

One of Dan's hands took hers in the midst of her hurry. She found him staring at her a lot closer than she had expected. She then noticed his eyes were a mix of gold and green, shining before the first rays of sunlight. They were beyond beautiful, no wonder the bastard was so cocky.

—If you fall in love with me, will you go through with your suicidal plan?— Mary was too intoxicated with his aura to do anything more than shake her head lightly, her eyes now fixed on his lips. She saw them smirk—. Good.


	9. Story 3: Ways that part, ways that meet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, there, beautiful people during this beautiful Saturday! Here's the last chapter of the last Mermaid story, I hope you like it <3

It was the best kiss Mary had ever been given. She understood now why Dan was so digustingly full of himself, for she was quickly starting to feel that way too. _“I don't have to love him deeply to enjoy some physical contact”_ , she thought, his dominant lips teasing and devouring hers in the meantime.

Right when she was starting to return the kiss, though, he pulled away with a smirk that she loved and loathed equally.

—There, there, impacient little starfish— he growled, never losing his smirk—. You had to go, right?

She nodded, a bit reluctant now that she had tasted those lips, and almost died when his tongue licked them rapidly. He winked his eye at her, the saliva making his mouth shiny and appealing, and she resolved that it was better to leave right away if she didn't want to lose her mind.

The merman watched her leaving before returning to the water. He was aware of his impeccable kissing technique, yet he had never expected that kiss to be so breath-taking. Was it because of her initial rejection, perhaps? He smirked to himself, eager to learn how far the two of them would get.

She was… something else. Sometimes through the night he'd found himself letting his guards down before her soothing voice, a situation he'd never had to face. He was used to being in control, yet he also wanted to explore the influence that she could have on him. It was but another challenge.

Mary's challenge, on the other hand, was figuring out his relationship with humans. She was curious about that rage underneath those indifferent factions, and she knew that it probably wouldn't be easy to access that information. As it turns out, she was right.

The following evening, after Mary had gotten a few hours of proper sleep, she went to the beach and threw a couple of pebbles into the water until he appeared. She didn't know if he was already nearby or whether he had some kind of magic power to notice when she was calling for him, but somehow he always knew. Mary giggled as she pictured him hiding near a rock, impatiently waiting for her. When she confessed to him what was going through her mind, he smirked and held her chin with his fingers.

—Your imagination's a bit weird, little starfish— he muttered, his eyes shamelessly fixed on her lips. Mary was already trembling when his irises tangled with hers—. So, are you back for more of me?

 _“Of course you are”_ , he thought in a mocking tone right as her lips collided with his. She didn't mind that he was a bit too much to bear; as long as their mouths were busy, he couldn't talk. Ha! She was a mastermind. She was also starting to lose her mind, seen as he was already retreating.

—There, there, small doses of Heavenly kissing, neither of us wants you to have a heart attack.

She frowned, his teasing tone quickly ruining the mood.

—Then why don't we talk about your hatred towards humans instead?

It was Dan's turn to frown, though he didn't because he was too cool for that. He seemed unaffected when he dismissed the idea with a simple wave of his hand. There was a detail that Mary didn't miss.

—Don't even try, persistent little starfish, I'm not discussing that.

—Can I see your hand?

He glanced at her with a sharp look.

—Nope.

—What happened to it?

—Mary…

—You have some skin in between your fingers, but in your right hand there were a few… membranes? Yeah, I guess, a couple membranes missing.

There it was again, that carefree, attractive smile that blew Mary's mind every time. He didn't seem particularly bothered by her insistence: instead, both of his arms were at each of her sides in a matter of seconds, his hypnotizing eyes looking right on hers and deep down her soul. As irritatingly as he usually behaved, she had to recognize he surely was magnificent.

—Chit-chat time's over, starfish. Let's put our tongues to better use.

She wanted to give in, but she also needed to know the truth. Somehow, Mary managed to free her bottom lip from between his teeth and placed her own hand on top of his mouth before he could go back in for another kiss.

—Chit-chat is not over. I wanna know.

Her firm tone took them both by surprise, though the two of them were pretty stubborn. Mary could still see the smirk forming on his lips even with her fingers covering it. His whole figure towered over her, gradually closing the distance between them while he placed teasing pecks and a few soft –and some not so soft– bites on her hand.

—Dan, tell m…

The merman got rid of her hand with his own and his lips found their way to hers, quickly making her forget what she had initially wanted to know. She figured she'd insist on it a bit later and focused on enjoying the moment, and wow if she enjoyed. He was a huge tease sometimes, and his smirk drove Mary crazy in all the right and wrong ways, but he knew what he was doing and she wouldn't complain.

They spoke about uncontroversial subjects after their long and intense make-out ~~and other stuff~~ session. Mary found Dan to be a great talker, something she had caught a glimpse of the previous day, and she soon realized the depth there was to him. They both noticed how much more there was beyond each other's looks or surface, and even if none of them would admit it out loud at first, both ended up looking forward to spending more time together.

Mary eventually learnt that insisting wouldn't get her anywhere with Dan. She kept on asking about it from time to time, and even though he remained anchored on his “No”, she never lost hope of ever getting to know. However, something happened one day that made her curiosity spiral.

Narumi and Hope had finally come clean about their respective lovers, Jumin and Segis, who soon acknowledged their previous nature. Mary was surprised upon discovering they were both merpeople before becoming human, and as much as she wanted to ask them if they knew Dan, she didn't want to risk his privacy in case they didn't. That's why she waited for the right chance, and soon Segismunda spoke about some of her former friends.

—She was constantly following me around with a fork because she wanted to brush my hair with it— Segis laughed over the memory, her fingers tangled around the fork she was actually using right then to mercilessly stab her lunch—. I'm not gonna miss her that much. I do miss Dan, though. He had the best nicknames for everybody.

Mary almost choked on her own food. She soon managed to get a minute alone with Segis –which was harder than she thought, seen as Hope would literally never leave her alone– and asked her about it right away.

—Yeah, I know Dan. I actually told him to hit on you, is he doing a good job so far?— her eyebrows wiggled a bit too fast, and Mary had to laugh to hide the fact that she was feeling flustered.

—Uhm, yeah, sort of. He was a jerk at first, but he's kind of… he actually…

—He's a cool guy— Segismunda nodded, all wisdom and everything—. I don't know about him romantically because of his tragic past and all, but he's a great friend. And he's also pretty funny, what nickname did he choose for you?

—Starfish— Mary admitted reluctantly before focusing her attention on Segismunda's words—. But wait, tragic past? What do you know about that?

Segis' eyes widened as if she had said too much. She excused herself for a second and hurried out of the room, but soon came back while dragging a bewildered Jumin behind her.

—Here. Jumin, tell her about Dan— she patted his back twice, a bit too hard, and then shot them both an awkward smile—. Bye!

She ran away, and Mary could only be scared. Jumin sighed.

—First of, what do you know about him?

He sat down and listened carefully to her response, nodding from time to time. Mary told him everything she could think of –including certain discoveries, such as Dan's mystery regarding his hands– and soon he sighed again.

—It shouldn't be me the one telling you about him. What I can tell you, however, is that he's had a hard life. Not even I know everything that's happened to him.

—Can't you at least tell me why does he hate humans so much? I just want to understand him, but he won't let me in…

Jumin, in spite of his reluctance to talk about someone else without their permission, knew he could trust Mary. Deep down, he also expected her to be the one to finally break Dan's walls, so he decided to share bits of his knowledge with her.

Mary learned that Dan wasn't from that part of the sea. Jumin had found him several years ago, suddenly dropping from a boat while horribly wounded. Dan hadn't allowed him anywhere near him, so Jumin carefully observed the merman from a distance to make sure he was okay. He didn't tell Mary the seriousness of his wounds, but she had a few guesses: the lack of interdigital membranes on his right hand, the few places of Dan's tail where some scales were missing, even a few scars on his torso and back that time had turned into faint pinkish lines.

—My guess is that some fishermen caught him off guard and did those atrocities to him before releasing him back into the sea.

 _“Why would anyone ever do that?”_ , Mary thought. The lump on her throat didn't let her speak up those words, but Jumin could see her concerns. Her face was an open book of emotions.

—I doubt he'll open up regarding this matter, at least not anytime soon. If you really care for him, I suggest you better be patient. As you yourself stated, he is rather stubborn.

Mary accepted his suggestion and made sure to stand by Dan's side from then on. He was still cocky and a bit unbearable sometimes, but he had also softened significantly ever since she came around. None of them would admit it, but their relationship had become fairly strong in a matter of days and they wouldn't let it all go to waste.

The day arrived when Mary, Hope and Narumi –alongside Jumin and Segismunda– had to leave back to the city. Dan didn't seem too pleased under that indifferent façade that was practically useless before Mary, but she promised him she'd visit every weekend. It was scary to think that it would all fall apart if they didn't see each other that often, but the only thing that happened when that routine was established was that they treasured their moments together even more.

Almost a year went by when Dan finally opened up to Mary about what had happened. His head was resting on her lap, her hands caressing his long, dark hair, and he spoke about how his brother's wife had been trapped on a fishermen's net. Dan had tried to free her before it got out of the water, but there was no use: they both ended up on the boat, surrounded by nearly twenty amazed men that couldn't believe their luck. Before anything happened, Dan managed to throw the other mermaid back into the water, which caused an unraveling of those men's anger. They'd lost precious cargo to sell for millions, so their decision was to pay all that wrath with the one bearing the guilt.

Mary wasn't one to cry, but she was having a hard time concealing the few tears that were forming in her eyes. She hated the humans that had done that to Dan, even if he hadn't gone further into detail to explain everything thoroughly. Every wound inflicted upon him, every minute of pain and horror believing that at any moment he'd die.

—Hey— he said all of a sudden, jolting straight up and caressing Mary's cheek with his thumb—. I don't like that look on your face. Don't you dare pity me.

—I don't pity you— she answered, her voice firmer than she'd expected it to be. Her fingers stretched the ones he had on her face as she leaned on them lightly—. I understand you now. And I'm furious, and I hate those men, and I wish there were something I could do to… to…

Dan let out a smirk. He was secretly enjoying seeing her so worked up about it because that was just how much he meant to her, so he decided to ease her pain with a mind-blowing kiss and didn't let her go until she was gasping for air.

—It doesn't even matter, it's in the past. But I gotta admit you look really sexy when you're…

—Dan, I love you— Mary interrupted the merman, hugging him all of a sudden—. If anyone ever tries to harm you ever again, I swear I'll kill them.

Her head was buried on the crook of his neck, her lips kissing the skin softly to release a bit of the anger she'd been holding on to. She felt his arms circling her tighter, but she never got to see his very lightly flushed pink cheeks nor his eyes with undescribable amounts of feelings. He closed them while yielding to the embrace, and it took him several minutes to regain his ability to appear smooth and unbothered again.

For he was, now, a man released of his life-long burden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it'll be a while now before I upload something else! I'm thinking of writing a couple more of mermaid stories, so if there's anyone in particular that you'd like to see around for it, please let me know! Thank you so very much for your kudos and comments and see you in the next one! <3

**Author's Note:**

> So that was it for the first chapter! As mentioned above, each story will be three chapters long, so I hope you enjoyed this one! I'll try to upload each Monday, so please look forward to it <3 I'll be more than happy to read what you thought in the comments; as always, they're very much appreciated (just like your kudos <3). Thank you for reading and see you soon!


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